The present invention generally relates to an air bag safety system and more specifically to a passenger side air bag system including a housing and a fastenerless deployment door devoid of bolts and rivets typically used to mount deployment doors to housings.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,893,833 illustrates a passenger side deployment door having a single, flexible hinge along one side and a frangible member along another side of the cover. The frangible member breaks apart in response to air bag deployment forces permitting the cover to rotate about the hinge. The hinge and frangible member are attached to cooperating structure by bolts or rivets, received through bolt/rivet holes which makes the assembly process more complicated than necessary. In addition, the bolt holes provide a source of increased stress.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved passenger side air bag deployment door and housing. Accordingly, the invention comprises: an air bag module comprising: a housing having an open top and a plurality of tabs extending from an outer wall proximate the open top, each tab including a slot; a deployment door including a top portion for enclosing the open top of the housing, a flange portion engageable with the tabs and a hinge portion securely fastened to the housing; the flange portion including openings for receiving a corresponding one of the tabs, and a boss that extends into each opening restricting a portion of each opening, such that upon full insertion of a tab within a corresponding opening the boss enters it s slot securing the flange portion to the housing and; tear seams, formed on the door which when torn permits the door to rotate about the hinge portion.